Cancer has affected every part of my life, from my childhood to the person I am becoming today. I lost my dad to brain cancer when I was thirteen and my mom to recurrent metastatic breast cancer when I was eighteen. Watching both of my parents battle cancer at such a young age completely changed my path of life. Some of my earliest memories involve loneliness and uncertainty. Losing my dad was devastating, the brain cancer stripped away his ability to speak and his personality overall. Shortly after his passing, my mom was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. This marked 6 years since she initially had it, and it seemed as though it was gone. Even through surgeries and fear for what was to come, she continued to lead our family with incredible strength and love. She always put my sisters and me before herself, no matter how much pain she was in. One moment that will stay with me forever is my mom sitting down with me and my sisters during the final stage of her cancer. She told us she was not ready to die. She wanted more time and wanted to be there for my high school graduation more than anything. Two weeks later, she passed away, a month before I graduated. That experience changed me deeply. For so long I struggled with the grief and confusion that came from losing both of my parents so young. There were moments where I felt overwhelmed and unsure of how I was supposed to move forward without them. Surprisingly, cancer also revealed the incredible strength and love within my family. Even in the hardest moments, my parents continued to live selflessly. Watching them handle suffering with compassion taught me more than I could ever explain. Since my senior year of high school, I have had to navigate life and college without the support or guidance of either parent. Along with the emotional loss came financial challenges and the responsibility of supporting myself while balancing school, work, and leadership roles. Although it has not been easy, these experiences have taught me resilience and perseverance. Today, I am a junior at Florida State University studying Human Development and Family Sciences with a certificate in Interdepartmental Developmental Disabilities. I currently serve as President of Delta Zeta, where I work to build a community centered on service and genuine care for others. I am also a Young Life leader, mentoring high school students and walking alongside them in faith. In addition, I serve as a Program Coordinator at Camp Lake Stephens, where I help organize programs and work closely with campers with special needs. Through these leadership roles, I have learned how important compassion and servant leadership truly are. My experiences with cancer shaped the way I approach others. I understand what it feels like to carry something heavy while still being expected to persevere, and because of that, I strive to be someone who supports and encourages others during difficult seasons of life. Most importantly, cancer taught me the impact one person can have on others. My parents showed me what it looks like to love people even during unimaginable hardship. Their example continues to guide the way I live and serve every day. Cancer changed my family forever, but it shaped the person I am today. It taught me resilience, compassion, and the importance of serving others well. While losing both of my parents is something I will always grieve, their legacy continues through the way I choose to live my life and care for the people around me.

When I was thirteen years old, my dad passed away from grade four brain cancer. Just two years later my mom was diagnosed with stage four returned metastatic breast cancer. She carried the weight of grief, illness, finances, and single parenthood to my two sisters and I, yet she never stopped encouraging me to pursue my education and believe in my future. When I was eighteen years old, only weeks before my high school graduation, I lost her too. One of the last things my mom told me was that she just wanted to be there for my graduation as her last wish. She died just two weeks later. That moment still stays with me to this day and drives me to remember to live every day to the fullest, as she would have wanted me to. Although both of my parents are gone, they remain the foundation beneath everything I pursue. Watching them face suffering with courage, faith, and selflessness shaped me profoundly. Even during terminal illness, they continued loving others deeply and believing in my future. Their sacrifices gave me an intense drive to make the most of every opportunity I have been given. Today, I attend Florida State University where I study Human Development and Family Sciences with a certificate in Developmental Disabilities. Throughout college, I have intentionally pursued leadership opportunities that allow me to serve others while pushing myself to grow. I currently serve as Chapter President of my sorority after previously serving as Chaplain. Presidency has been one of the most challenging and meaningful experiences of my life. The role carries the responsibility of leading, supporting, and advocating for hundreds of women. It requires difficult decision-making, emotional leadership, conflict management, and constant sacrifice behind the scenes. Leading through challenges while helping cultivate a strong, supportive community has strengthened my resilience and ability to serve others selflessly. I was also selected as a Rho Gamma for FSU Panhellenic, mentoring women through the recruitment process and helping them feel seen and supported during an overwhelming transition into college life. Another experience that deeply shaped my leadership was working at Camp Lake Stephens. I walked into camp knowing absolutely no one, but through hard work and leadership, I quickly became one of the top counselors on staff. During my first summer, I was trusted with opportunities to lead special programs and was awarded Counselor of the Year. By my second summer, I was promoted to Leader in Training Counselor, where I trained high school students to become future counselors and leaders themselves. I now serve as Program Coordinator, overseeing the LIT program and major junior high camp programs. These experiences taught me how to lead with empathy, adaptability, and purpose. My long-term goal is to pursue a Master of Arts in Special Education and dedicate my career to supporting children with disabilities and their families. I want to create environments where students feel safe, valued, and genuinely understood. Because of my own experiences with grief and adversity, I understand how life-changing it can be when someone chooses to believe in you during difficult seasons of life. I honor my parents through the life I am building and the way I choose to lead and serve others. Their love gave me both the resilience and ambition to continue pursuing my dreams despite immense loss. Everything I accomplish is built on the foundation they created for me, and I hope to carry their legacy forward by becoming the kind of leader, educator, and advocate who makes others feel deeply supported and cared for.

Cancer has shaped my life and my purpose in ways I never imagined. I lost my dad to grade four brain cancer when I was thirteen and my mom to recurrent metastatic breast cancer when I was eighteen. Walking through the loss of both parents from such a young age forced me to grow up rapidly. I experienced immense grief and responsibility long before any of my peers. Even through their suffering, my parents continued to live with servant-hearted love dedicating their lives to serving others. One memory that will always stay with me is my mom telling me she wasn’t ready to die. She wanted to be there for my high school graduation, even if it was the last thing she did. She ended up passing away just two weeks later, a month before my graduation. That moment showed me the depth of my parents’ love and the weight of losing them. For years, I struggled to carry that grief, over time I realized what I went through could either leave me stuck or shape me into someone who loves others as radically as they loved me. I have had to navigate life and college without the guidance or support of either parent. Supporting myself while balancing school and work is not easy, but it has strengthened my resilience and determination to build a life rooted in service and purpose. Today, I am a junior at Florida State University studying Human Development and Family Sciences with a certificate in Interdepartmental Developmental Disabilities. My passion for special education has been shaped through experience. It began through Best Buddies in high school, where I built friendships with individuals with disabilities and learned the importance of genuine connection. For the past two summers, I have served as a camp counselor working with individuals with special needs. One week, I was assigned to a young woman with Down syndrome who required constant support. It was one of the most challenging yet meaningful weeks of my life. I chose to step fully into that role with a servant heart, focusing entirely on making sure she felt valued and deeply cared for. By the end of the week, seeing the joy on her face as she hugged me goodbye made every difficult moment worth it. That experience demonstrated the power of radical love and confirmed my calling toward special education. Within college, I commit my life to serving others. I serve as President of Delta Zeta, where I focus on building a community centered on service. Through our philanthropy, I work hands-on with children with speech and hearing disabilities, helping create environments where they feel supported and valued. In my heart, special education is about far more than academics. It is about meeting students where they are, advocating for them, and creating an environment where they feel safe, capable, and valued. I understand what it feels like to carry something heavy and I know how life-changing it can be when someone chooses to walk alongside you with patience and compassion. I want to be the person my students can rely on in every moment. I want to create a classroom where students feel deeply understood and genuinely loved for who they are. Cancer changed my life in ways I never could have imagined, but it also gave me something I carry into everything I do: the ability to serve others with compassion and purpose. The love my parents showed me changed my life forever. Now, I want to spend my life showing that same radical love to others through special education.